TMNT and Jo--Sickness
by BBPRIMEFAN101
Summary: Don must act fast if he wants to create a cure for his fatally ill sister.


It was around five in the morning.

Donatello was in his lab tinkering with his latest invention, which of course Michelangelo would beg to name once he finished and figure out what it did. He wiped the sweat of his forehead away with a rag nearby and attached wires within the device. He suddenly stopped. A sudden uneasiness filled the air. He couldn't explain it, but the genius turtle knew he didn't like it. He got up from his desk and crept out into the hallway he and his siblings' rooms shared.

He poked his head into each door, spying his siblings. Was it Leo who made him so uneasy? No. Leonardo was sound asleep...with a Captain Ryan action figure tucked under his arm.

Was it Michelangelo who made him uneasy? No. Though he was snoring like an ape, Mikey was sound asleep as well with a comic book over his face and a half-eaten pizza in his hand.

Was it Raphael who made him uneasy? No. Raph was asleep as well, snoring just as loud as Mikey if not louder. He let one arm and leg hang over his bed, and that one hand gripped a bag of lettuce leaves, a trail of them leading to his pet turtle Spike's tank.

Was it Josephine who made him uneasy?...He double-checked. His human little sister was sound asleep facing away from the door with her blanket up to her mid-chest. He frowned. Something didn't feel right. Like before, he couldn't explain it. He tip-toed towards Joey's bed and checked her out. She was curled in a little ball her hands were tucked under her head, and she breathed slowly and lightly. A bit too lightly. Jo moaned and stirred; Donnie panicked and jumped out of her room, thinking she'd wake up and freak seeing her mutant brother staring at her inches from her face. But she never awoke from her sleep. Don poked his head inside real quick to only see Jo just shifted positions.

Donnie sighed of frustration; he was relieved none of his siblings had caused the uneasiness, but it bothered him that his clues were proven wrong. If not his family, then what? He yawned and went to the kitchen to brew himself some coffee. Their sensei would get up in an hour and they would begin training; no point in getting a wink of shut-eye. Sometimes he got up extra early to set up the dojo himself if he had a rough time getting back to bed. Don was so deep in thought he didn't hear the coffee brewer go off. But sound of his teacher and father entering the kitchen brought him back to reality.

"Good morning, my son," Hamato Yoshi said. He was a bit surprised to see his third youngest child being awake this early and not his eldest, but he didn't let it show.

Donatello spun around and bowed. "Good morning, Sensei."

"You are up earlier than normal," Splinter stated as he approached the purple-clad turtle. "Is something the matter?"

Donnie gulped as his father's rat eyes stared down upon him, making him feel uneasy. "Oh, huh...s-something, the matter? Hehe, psssht, no! E-Everything's all good, Master Splinter. Nothing's the matter." He wore a forced smile and crossed his arms over his chest. He knew Splinter was not easily fooled; in fact, you couldn't fool him at all. Eventually giving in to the rodent's deep stare, Donnie groaned and blurted out, "I don't know, Sensei. I...I was working in my lab 'cause I couldn't sleep earlier, and all of a sudden...I feel that something is wrong."

The humanoid rat became rather interested and stroked his beard. "Hmm. How do you mean, something felt wrong, and what?"

Donatello shrugged. "Like something just wasn't right, or whatever."

"And what felt wrong?"

"My siblings."

Splinter raised a brow. "Why would you think something would be wrong with your sister and brothers, Donatello?"

"I don't know," Don exclaimed. "I just did. I had a funny feeling in my stomach that something had to have been wrong, so I went to check, and everything seemed fine...but I had to double-check Joey."

Splinter frowned. "You believe something is the matter with Josephine?"

Don's eyes widened. "N-No!-I-I mean, yes-I mean no! I..." he sighed. "I just don't know. And I hope not."

Splinter smiled gently and rested a paw on Donnie's shoulder. "My boy, you and your brothers and sister are strong. I am certain if anything conflicts them, they will let somebody know. Do not worry about something that may not even exist."

Donnie lowered his head. "Hai, Sensei...May I ask why you are up early?"

"I had gotten up to set up the dojo for today's training. Would you care to assist me?" Yoshi asked.

Don stood up and smiled. "Of course, Father." Then the two mutants left the kitchen and set up the training room, rolling out mats and shoving aside excess workout equipment, clearing the center space. By the time they had finished making room, the other ninjas had awaken.

Leo, Mikey, and Raph all walked in, surprised to see Donnie already awake. "Wow," Raph smirked. "Usually it's Leo who's the early bird."

Leo glared. "Very funny, Raph."

Donnie frowned a bit. Splinter noticed and asked quietly, "My son, what troubles you?"

"I'm getting that feeling again," the turtle replied in a whisper. "I can't tell which of them makes me the most uncomfortable, though. Wait-" Then he asked aloud, "Where's Joey?"

"She told us she would be here in a minute," said Mikey.

"And that was ten minutes ago," Raph added.

The uneasy feeling in Donnie's stomach quickly became a sense of nausea. He let his mouth agape and his arms dropped to his sides. "I-I'll go and check on her." Then he quickly left the dojo, running past his brothers in a hurry. The others watched him go with confused looks on their faces.

"Sensei, what was that all about?" Leo asked.

"Your brother has been having strange and uneasy feelings this morning," explained the rat. "And he says its source is from the four of you."

"Uhh, I think you mean THREE OF US, Master Splinter," Mikey pointed out.

Raph roughly nudged him in the side. "He means us and Joey, ya dork."

"Why would Donnie be uneasy about us? And what about us makes him uneasy, Splinter?" Leo asked.

"He does not know himself, my son," Yoshi said lowly and shook his head.

* * *

This had to be the answer. It had to be.

Donatello picked up the pace as he headed for his human little sister's room; he screeched to a halt and noticed the door was shut. Maybe she was changing out of her pajamas. No; Don couldn't hear any shuffling of clothes. Maybe she was in the bathrooms. No; Donnie just ran by the bathroom. She wasn't in the kitchen, he knew that for a fact.

"Hey, Donnie!"

Just as he was about to knock on Jo's door, he heard a voice. He yelped and spun around on his heels covering his mouth to see miss April O'Neil, coming to resume her training as a kunoichi, enter the lair. Seeing that it was a familiar face, he relaxed and let out a sigh of relief. "H-Hey, April."

"What'cha doing?" she asked.

Don blushed as she came towards him. "Uh...I-I was just checking on Joey. She's been quiet."

"Well, I hope everything's alright," April said with a smile and headed for the dojo.

Donnie heard his brothers exclaim, "Hello, April!" "Hey, Ape!" "Wassup, April!" and his father say warmly, "Good morning, miss O'Neil," and he tried to focus back onto what bothered him greatly earlier.

Don curled his fingers and tapped his knuckles against her door. Silence. He waited a minute before knocking again. Again, silence. The nausea in his stomach grew stronger with his concern as he called out, "Joey?...You okay in there?" His heart raced when he heard no response, and at that moment he pushed open her door. He was taken aback; he found his sister kneeling before her bed, resting her head in her arms on the edge of the mattress, still in her sleep clothes of a jersey shirt, boxers with socks on her feet. She seemed dead from the lack of movement. Don couldn't see her body rise and fall with her breathing.

He stepped into her room an knelt down behind her. He noticed a bit of sweat on the back of her neck. "J-Jo...Are you alright?" he asked. She didn't reply, nor move. Donnie rested a hand on her shoulder. He got a reaction; Jo shivered. He quickly pulled away his hand. He knew there was only one time when Joey shivered like that. Only one. Without thinking he grabbed her shoulders and pulled Jo into his lap. The girl was pale but her flushed cheeks and glistening with sweat, but she was shivering. Her breathing was faint and uneven. There was crust at the corners of her eyes and mouth and under her nose, and her face felt hot. Don felt like vomiting at that point; the uneasiness was killing him. "Joey...Jo!" he called out to her as softly as he could so he wouldn't alert the others.

A gurgled moan erupted from the girl Don watched as she wearily opened her eyes; they were bloodshot, and their teal color seemed to have faded into a dull blue grey. She opened her mouth and tried to speak, but all that came out was a squeak, and Donnie covered her mouth. "Don't talk," he said. Grabbing a blanket and wrapping it around Joey's white, chill-racked body, he lifted her up into his arms and headed straight for his lab, feeling her body shivering the whole short trip. Donnie laid her down on an examination bed, resting her head on her favorite pillow, and kept her tucked in the blanket. She abruptly sneezed and Don wiped her nose with a tissue. His heart cramped at the sight of pain on his sister's face. "I'll be right back, Jo-Jo," he told her, laying a hand on her forehead then left the lab in a hurry towards the dojo.

He walked in on Raph flipping April over his shoulder; she landed on her back and groaned as the mutant triumphantly towered over her. "How do ya like the odds now?" he said with a smirk.

April swept her legs and knocked Raphael on his shell, and she pinned him to the floor. "Much more than you probably do right now," she said, mocking his smirk.

This would be a time where Donnie would heavily congratulate their human ally, but he had his mind focused on a more serious matter. "Guys," he called out. His brothers turned to him, ready to ask how their sister was, but stopped when they saw the look of utter worry on his face. Instead they asked him what was wrong. "Joey's sick." They then all shared the same look of worry and exchanged glances. Splinter shut his eyes and lowered his head.

Mikey finally spoke out to break the suffocating silence, "Is she okay?"

Donnie didn't know what to say except, "When I found her I thought she was dead." When he saw the panic building up in his brothers he quickly added, "But she wasn't! She was just very pale and felt very warm. She's in the lab now, and the second I get a chance I will get a look at her." He looked to his father. "Sensei?"

The rodent slowly nodded. "Josephine's life is more important than training. Go." Don quickly bowed and fled to his lab, Leo and Mikey and Raph not far behind. Joey was still laying in the same position Donnie had left her; flat on her back on the bed completely motionless. Don carefully approached her; she still appeared asleep. A faint trail of snot sat on her upper lip and Donnie wiped it away with a tissue. Placing a hand on her forehead he frowned; she still felt warm. Warmer, even.

April stepped into the lab and laid a hand on Donnie's shoulder. "Is she okay?"

"Sickness can take a toll, especially on a kid like Joey," he replied. "Getting sick, for her, is a bad thing. A very bad thing."

"Why?" April asked.

"Jo's got the weakest immune system out of all of us," Don explained. "This isn't the first time this has happened. When she was five she got a bad cold, nearly killed her. Still amazes me that she pulled through."

"She'll pull through this, too, right?" Raph said, a hint of worry in his voice.

Donnie shrugged. "I honestly don't know. It's up to Joey's body to decide." He could see the rage and fear all over his hot-headed brother's face, so he turned his gaze back on their sister. He gently rubbed her head; he noticed her flinching at his cold touch, and she let out a very faint moan. Donnie got down on his knees and gently turned her head towards his. "Jo," he said softly, "can you hear me?" No answer. All she did was slowly open her red eyes and stare straight into his red-brown ones. He took that as a response and asked, "How are you feeling?"

She could see the fear for her in his eyes.

Joey's throat tightened and she held her breath. Donnie could see the hurt in her eyes; he also saw tears, and they became more clear as they fell down the side of her face and off the tip of her nose. He bore a sad, quivering smile and wiped them away with his thumb. He knew she was afraid; they all were, but if they showed it, it would only worsen the situation for her. His brothers crowded around him; Jo couldn't bear to let them see her this way, so she turned her head away. Leo leaned forward and rested a hand on her trembling shoulder. His heart broke when he heard a stuffy sob come from his youngest sibling. "Joey," he said, "You're gonna pull through this. And we'll help you. We won't let anything happen to you. We promise."

"Hell yeah, we do," Raph said with a nod.

"You guys go," said Donnie. "I need to check her out anyway, and I don't want to make her feel uncomfortable with everyone in here." The other turtles were hesitant, but nodded and left the lab.

"You think Don can cure her?" Mikey mumbled to his older brothers.

"He did it before," Leo said, "He can certainly do it again."

Raph glared. "He had better, or else I'll put him in a worse condition than Joey already is."

"I'm sure Donnie will think of something," said April. "Knowing him, he'd never let anything bad happen to Joey."

April's words had little affect on easing their discomfort. Remembering the past, they felt nothing would.

* * *

After a few hours' rest, Joey had the strength to start talking. Don was searching up sicknesses that matched the symptoms Jo had when he heard a frail, raspy voice call out his name.

"D-Donnie..."

He turned to see Jo staring straight at him. He scooted his wheeled-chair over to the edge of the bed in a hurry. "Joey...You doing okay?"

Joey coughed heavily and shivered. Donnie helped unwrap her from the blanket and drape it over her shoulders and sat her upright. "B-Been...a whole l-lot better."

Don pressed a hand against her cheek and moaned disappointingly. "Your fever hasn't gotten better, but luckily it hasn't worsened either. Now, what's bugging you the most?"

"Other than the fact I'll be smothered by overprotective brothers?" Jo said, making Donnie chuckle. "Well...obviously my head's bugging me...my throat and stomach ache, I can't breathe through my nose real well, and I feel numb in my feet...That last one, does that mean anything?"

"Shouldn't," Don shook his head. "It could just mean your feet are cold." He grabbed a foot and squeezed, nodding. "Yup. Later, remind me to get ya another pair of socks." Joey then suddenly sneezed, nearly falling off the bed from lack of balance due to extreme dizziness. Donnie grabbed a tissue, held it to her face and told her to blow. She blew, blushing embarrassingly, and Don tossed the used Kleenex into the trash can, then applied hand sanitizer.

He grabbed a thermometer and stuck it in Jo's mouth. After a moment it beeped and Donnie checked her temperature. He sighed and said gruffly, "102.5, exactly."

"Yeah, that's bad," Jo said hoarsely and went into a fit of shaky coughs, straining her dry, aching throat. "Ow..."

"Would you like some water?" Donnie asked. Joey nodded, and Don quickly left the lab. Pacing into the kitchen past the dojo, he grabbed a glass and filled it with icy cold water. Trying not to spill, he raced back to the lab-only to find Joey sitting on the floor with her head in the trash can, retching and gagging. He sat the glass on the counter and knelt by his sister's side, and he patted her back. "Just let it out, Joey, it's okay," he told her softly. After a few more spills, Joey had completely emptied her system. She spat out the remaining after taste of bile into the trash can; luckily her nose was too stuffed to be affected by the odor of vomit.

It upset her that her brother had to see her that way, and she instantly started crying, burying her face into her hands. Donnie became worried and hugged her. "Shh, it's okay, Joey. I know being sick is hard for you, and it's hard on all of us to see you in so much pain...I promise, I'll make ya better. Okay?" Joey sniffled and nodded.

After a moment's silence, he asked, "Ya still want your water?" She nodded again. Donnie reached for the chilled glass and leaned Joey back in one arm. He put the rim of the glass to her lips, tilted the glass and watched the water slip between her lips. The cold water felt so good against her sore throat. But Don pulled away the glass. "I wouldn't want you to have too much water at once, just enough to keep you hydrated, if you're stomach's bothering you." Jo nodded slowly. She shivered and sneezed again, moaning as it strained her throat. Don grabbed another tissue and wiped her nose clean. "Would you rather sleep here in the lab, or in your room, or on the couch? It's your choice."

Joey cleared her throat before replying, "I-I'd r-rather...be on...the couch." When Don asked why, she said, "S-So I-I can be with all y'all at once instead of being c-crowded in my room or the lab." He thought that was a good enough reason. Slowly and carefully, he carried his sister out of the lab and into the living area, laying her down on the couch. He placed the softest pillow under her head, pulled the table closer to her so she could reach the tissue box, and sat a trash can against the couch.

Donnie quickly ran to the kitchen and held a rag under a running faucet; all the while he heard Jo sneezing and blowing her nose into tissues. He feared the worst for his sister. They all did. His heart ached and he fought back tears the best he could, but a few slipped down his cheeks. Before he returned to his sister, he wiped them away; he couldn't let her see him upset because he knew it would worry her. He quickly came back to the living room and pressed the wet rag on her sweaty forehead. Tucking her further into her blanket, he told her, "If you need anything, anything at all, just let us know. Okay?"

Joey nodded and yawned; Don managed to get a look at her throat. It was red, severely swollen, and looked painful. He saw the sleepiness in her eyes, but he knew she wouldn't fall asleep. He also knew she needed rest. He softly hummed her a lullaby, and he watched her eyelids droop to a close. When he finished Jo had passed out, having to breathe through her mouth since her nose was clogged.

Don kissed her cheek and looked up to see his brothers, April, and Splinter exiting the dojo. The second they saw him kneeling over their sister, the turtles rushed over to the couch. Donnie shushed and signaled them that she was asleep. They nodded and crept the rest of the way to the couch, and they gazed at her: fast asleep with her mouth slightly open, breathing slowly and heavily. Her cheeks were still flushed and the rest of her body pale, and while there was sweat on her face there were goosebumps on her arms. They could hear the phlegm rattling in the back of her throat, the air just barely slipping through her swollen air ways and into her lungs.

Donnie could see the tears building up in his brothers' eyes; he sadly smiled, stood up and wrapped his arms around them. Once he started crying, the others felt a bit more comfortable in crying too. Tightening their hold on one another, they sobbed in each others' ears and let their tears fall on one another, none even bothered to wipe them away. They were scared; and had a good reason to be. But they had to keep their hopes up. Donatello had his sister's life in his hands. He needed to cure her, and quick. It's a lot of stress, but he's the only turtle familiar with sicknesses and medicines. But he knew his brothers and father were willing to do anything to help, and they told him exactly that.

"Perhaps we should do shifts," suggested Splinter. "One of you could keep a close eye on Josephine whilst Donatello works on the medicine to cure her." The turtles thought that was a good idea, and they voted Raph to take the first watch. Mikey went to his room to play video games, Leo went with Splinter to meditate, April headed home, and Raphael stood by the couch, watching his ill sister sleep. He rubbed her head and sadly smiled, and he told himself whatever his sister needed during his shift, anything at all at any time, he'd do it.

* * *

Raph had no idea when he had fallen asleep; he woke up with his head laying on Joey's stomach, and the corners of his mouth felt wet. He groaned and sat up, wiping his mouth and sleepily gazed at his sister. She was still asleep; her nose was runny so Raph grabbed a tissue and cleaned it for her. Her cheeks weren't as flushed, but she was still pale. He removed the wet rag on her forehead and sat it on the table, making a reminder to re-soak it.

Raph smiled and rubbed her head. The lair seemed so quiet; Don was in his lab working on a cure, Leo must still be meditating, and Mikey must've fallen asleep while playing video games. The only thing missing was Joey talking and laughing. Raph prayed Donnie would get the medicine Joey needed soon. It made himself sick to see his determined sister so...weak.

He rubbed his hand down the side of her face and down her neck and back up again. He then slightly frowned. Something was off. Raphael pressed his hand against her neck. His body went cold. He double-checked, triple-checked, quadruple-checked. All the same results.

No pulse.

In a hurry, Raph scooped his sister into his arms and raced to the lab. How long had she been like this? Did this happen while he was asleep? Was she gone? Did it happen just as he woken up? If this was happening, why didn't she wake him? Then he remembered; she was in deep sleep even before his shift began.

Donatello heard the lab door being kicked open and quickly turned around. He gasped and jumped to his feet when he saw a tear-stained Raphael holding Joey close in his trembling arms. "Get her on the bed, quick!" Raph does so, just barely, and his legs turned to jello. Donnie checked her all over and asked him in a panic, "What, what's wrong with her?!"

Raph sobbed and pointed to his neck while shaking his head. He was too devastated to say any words. Don got the message and panicked. "No...God, no!" He grabbed an aspirator and placed it over Joey's mouth and nose and he began performing CPR. "Come on, Jo-Jo...COME ON!"

Yoshi, Leo, and Mikey heard the yelling and rushed into the lab, and they both became horrified at the sight before them: Donnie sitting over Joey on the bed, pushing his hands into her chest over and over again with a hose shoved down her throat. "W-What's happening?!" Mikey asked fearfully. "What's wrong?!"

"She's got no pulse!" Donnie hollered, continuing CPR. He checked her; nothing. He screamed through gritted teeth. "God-damn it! Come on!" Leo knelt down and tried comforting Raph, but his hot-headed brother just shoved him away. "URRGH, SHIT! Why aren't you-?!" Then it became clear. He remembered when he got a look at her sore throat: red, looked painful, severely swollen. Severely. "GODDAMN IT THAT MIGHT BE IT!" He jumped off the bed and removed the mask of the aspirator, revealing the tube. "I need someone to hold Joey's mouth open so I can put this in her throat! It's swollen too badly she can't get air into her lungs!"

Mikey ran to assist him and held Jo's mouth wide, even pushed down her tongue to let Don see clearer. He managed to get the tube past her uvula, and that's where it stopped. "Try sitting her up!" Donatello demanded. Mikey quickly pulled her upright; once he did, Donnie was able to slip the tube further down her swollen throat and close to her airways. Then he immediately began CPR again. Mikey's legs went numb and he collapsed crying on the floor next to Leo and Raph. Splinter did their best to comfort them with little success. His emotions broke like a dam, as well, and he cried with his sons. Donnie checked after a minute. His hand trembled as he pressed against her neck.

He sighed a sob. "I...I got a pulse..."

The others sighed of relief yet continued to sob, huddling against one another like a clutter of penguins, soaking one another in their tears. Don slumped in his chair and buried his face in his hands, letting his emotions flow. So close. Josephine was so close to...he couldn't even think the word. He wouldn't want to either way. He reached out for her cold hand and squeezed it; as he expected, no response. But what mattered was that he felt her revived pulse through her fingertips. Why, if it hadn't been for Raph...

Raph.

Don raised his tear-stained face and glared at his red-clad brother. "What...happened?" he asked through his teeth.

Raph swallowed the lump in his throat as his green eyes widened horrified as his younger brother's red-brown ones narrowed. He didn't even know where to begin. "I-I...I d-don't know w-what happened," he stammered. "I-I d-didn't even know I fell asleep, a-and-"

"You fell asleep? On your shift?!" Don leaned in close and shouted. Raph flinched. He had never seen Donnie this angry; only in himself, and it horrified him. "How could you just doze off on something as important as keeping an eye on our SICK SISTER?! Well it sure was a hell of a good thing you woke up when you did! Otherwise Joey could have been dead by now! I mean, seriously, how could you be so...so...so CARELESS?!" Raphael blinked one tear after another and lowered his gaze. He didn't want to admit it, but Donnie was right. If he hadn't woken up, Jo would've been gone. Because of a careless mistake. He hid his face in his hands.

Donnie closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, held it, then let it out. "Sensei, with all due respect, I don't think shifts are a good idea anymore. I'm going to keep Joey here in the lab and keep a close eye on her myself, and she will stay here until I have worked up a cure. I will allow visitors from time to time; depends on how busy I am."

Splinter sighed and lowered his head a bit. But he obliged. "If this is what you think is best for Josephine, then so be it." Then he looked down to his sons on the floor. "Come, boys. Let us prepare dinner." Leo and Mikey left easily after giving Jo a kiss on the cheek, but Raph felt a bit anxious approaching his sister; he was afraid Don would lash out at him. But Donnie gave him permission, and Raph gave a quick kiss, nuzzled her cheek, then left the lab. Once everyone was gone, Donnie slammed and locked the door then got back to work on finding a cure.

Every half hour or so he would check to see if she still had a pulse; each time there was one, but he always had to be sure. After about four hours since the revival, Donnie realized Joey was breathing on her own, so he removed the aspirator and moistened her throat with some water. He slipped some throat medicine in the water to help ease the swelling so there wouldn't be a repeat of earlier today's heart-stopping incident. From what he could tell, she was still sleeping. He had to wake her up, whether she liked it or not.

Donnie gently shook her. "Joey," he whispered. "Jo-Jo...you need to wake up. You've been sleeping for thirteen hours." Joey moaned and flinched her eyelids. She stirred and acted like a teen who was told to get out of bed at five in the morning. Don became frustrated with Joey's noncooperation, but he had to be gentle and patient. "Joey, please, you have to wake up. I need to do a quick check-up to see if anything has gotten better or has worsen." The sick girl just moaned, pulling her blanket over her head.

At this point, Don could wait no more. He yanked off the blanket to reveal Joey's pale, shivering body, then he grabbed her hands and pulled her upright. She didn't stay that way for long and started falling backwards. But Donnie caught her and propped her up against the wall. He grabbed the sides of her face and said gently yet firmly, "Josephine, you need to wake up, or else I won't know what's wrong, or what other kind of symptoms you have, and then I won't be able to make the cure for you, and you could possibly die, so open your eyes and cooperate."

He felt her body trembling. Her hands were clenched into white balls. Jo slowly raised her head as high as she could, but it felt too heavy, and she was still dizzy. Donnie could see the tears slipping from her eyes, and saw a look of pain on her face. Had he frightened her? It suddenly seemed her tears were an inner voice calling out to him, saying: _I'm trying Donnie, I really am trying, but like you said, being sick is extremely hard for a kid like me, and I am hardly_ _able to do anything! But I'm doing all I can...I'm still so weak, and I hate it, I hate that I can't do what you want me to do...But I'm trying...I really am..._ The voice slowly faded.

Donnie got down on his knees to make eye contact with his sister. Her eyes weren't as red and puffy, and her teal eyes had managed to get some of its color back. But nonetheless, everything appeared to not have changed. He suddenly hated himself; he had frightened his sister with the truth. He should have said "It's going to be okay" or "I will take care of you but I will need a bot of your help". Anything but what he told her. He held her face in his hands and wiped away her tears. "Joey...I promised you I would make you better...and swear to God I will...but I will need a bit of your help so I can know if anything has changed. Okay?" Joey nodded with a sniffle. "Okay. Can you talk, Joey?"

Jo cleared her throat and said hoarsely, "...Y-Yes..."

It was a start. "Now, has anything changed so far? Do you know?" Don asked her.

"M-My...throat hurts...much less t-than it did b'fore," Joey told him, "A-And I can breathe a bit easier." Don nodded; the medicine he slipped into her water must've kicked in.

"Anything else?"

Jo thought a bit. "My stomach still hurts, my eyes and nose itch almost all the time now, I ache a bit all over my body...and my feet still feel numb."

Don grabbed a foot and smirked. "That's because we forgot to give you a second pair of socks," he said playfully. She laughed a bit but then went into a coughing fit. Donnie patted her back and offered her some water. She said yes.

"But I want Raphael to bring it to me."

Donnie seemed a bit surprised. "Is there a particular reason why?" She slowly nodded. He seemed reluctant to grant her request, especially after what had happened only hours ago. Joey had to have slipped away while he was asleep; she was lucky he woke up. Raph was lucky himself, otherwise Don wouldn't have been afraid to take on his hot-headed sibling head-on. He briefly hated his older brother for being that careless, for dozing off when anything could have happened. But, if Joey had a reason for Raph to be the one to give her the water, it had to be a good one. He nodded, unlocked the lab door, and went to find Raph.

He found him and the others in the dojo meditating with Splinter. He leaned against the doorway and loudly cleared his throat. They all turned towards him and stared. "Is something the matter, Donatello?" his father asked.

Donnie shook his head lightly. "Joey just asked for some water"-he stared straight at Raphael-"and she requests you to get it for her."

Raph blinked. "Me?" Don nodded with a slight glare. "Why?"

"She didn't say, but she has a reason."

Raph swallowed the lump in his throat; she probably wanted to snap at him for nearly getting her killed. "Raphael!" his father's call snapped him out of his thoughts. "Go on and gather your sister some water." Raph bowed and quickly got to his feet then ran out of the dojo into the kitchen. He dropped a few ice cubes into the glass and held it under a running faucet, filling it to the rim. Trying not to spill, he made his way to the lab. He stopped at the door, eying his sister shuddering under her blanket. He took in a deep breath and stepped into the lab.

Joey sat up once her eye caught sight of dark green and a sliver of red, and she sat up as straight as her weak body would let her. She saw Raph slowly entering the lair with the filled glass of water; he had a look of worry behind his forced small smile. His emerald eyes appeared fine, but underneath he was shattered. She knew why. "Hey," she said as clearly as she could.

"H-Hey," Raph echoed meekly and handed her the glass.

"Thank you," she said and took a few small sips. Raph nodded quickly and turned on his heels, heading for the door. He felt so uncomfortable being in the presence of his sister whom he almost cost the life of.

"Stay."

He froze, and he hesitantly turned his head towards her. She had a straight face; in one hand held the glass, the other was extended out to him, expecting his own to grab it. He extended his arm and briefly locked fingers with his sister's, and she slowly pulled him towards her. Setting down the glass, Jo patted on the bed next to her, telling Raph to sit next to her. He did so, and stared at his lap while he twiddled with his fingers. He waited, waited for her to let it out, blame him for nearly killing her. He closed his eyes and held his breath.

"You shouldn't blame yourself for what happened."

He mentally gasped and opened his eyes. Raphael glanced down at his sister, who was looking straight back at him. There was seriousness in her teal eyes; he noticed they had their full color back. In his own there was doubt and confusion. She explained further, "I understand...Don got upset at you, but just because he was scared for me...I know you all were...but I also know that the task to find the medicine I need is on his shoulders, and he can't afford any...accidents." Raph sullenly nodded. He then felt a light touch on his hand and looked down to see Jo's pale fingers sitting on his knuckles. "But what happened, it wasn't your fault. I had fallen asleep and my throat swelled too much to the point where I couldn't breathe, and I knew you had fallen asleep also, but I was unable to wake you."

Raph actually sniffled. "But...i-if I wasn't asleep I mighta noticed something was wrong."

Josephine barely smiled sadly as she saw tears well up in his eyes. She slowly raised her free hand to try and wipe them away. "S-Stop," Raph hiccuped. "Don't waste your strength." Joey continued smiling, gripped his hand with one of her own, and raised her other to his eyes, wiping his tears away with her knuckle. The salty droplets felt warm to her touch and she shivered a bit. Raphael wrapped one arm gently around her and pulled her in for a hug. He started crying all over again. He had never felt so sorry in all his life, even though his little sister insisted it wasn't his fault. But Jo-Jo's comforting hug had managed to uplift all the guilt he had. Raph nuzzled the top of her head and rubbed her back. He felt her shiver and heard her sneeze, and he let out a light laugh.

"W-What?" she asked.

"You have such a cute sneeze, Jo-Jo," he replied.

Joey frowned as she sniffled. "Shut up." Then she smiled and snuggled with him.

Don walked into the lab. "Everything okay in here-" He froze at the sight before him: Raphael snuggling with their sick sister and swaying side to side, both smiling peacefully. They both looked to him still grinning, still swaying. All of a sudden, the grudge Donnie had against Raph vanished, and he smiled. He approached Raph and laid a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry I got so upset at you earlier...It's just...ya know, I-"

Raoh held up a hand to silence him. "I know, you're super stressed about finding a cure for Jo-Jo, and I understand that." He smiled and patted Don on the shoulder. He then noticed Joey had fallen asleep in his arms; he felt her breathing against his skin, and that made him feel a whole lot more comfortable.

"She shouldn't have anymore trouble breathing," Donnie said. "The swelling died down, so all there is is just the soreness and redness."

Raph sighed. "That's good to hear."

Then, Leo, Mikey and Splinter stepped into the lab. "How is she?" the blue-clad turtle asked.

"She just fell asleep," Raph said softly.

Splinter chuckled at his sleeping daughter. Having slept a total of 23 hours at separate times, she still needed rest. "Come, let us take her to her bed. Her sheets have been freshly washed." Raph placed Jo in Splinter's arms and the rat carried her to her room, laying her on her bed and tucking her under her sheets.

While Leo, Raph, and Mikey followed, Don stayed to work on the cure a bit more. The three mutant turtles stood by and watched their father tend to their sister. He rubbed her head, tucked her hair behind her ear, and softly kissed her cheek. She soon bore a soft smile not long after as she drifted off to deep sleep. The three slowly and silently crept to the edge of Joey's bed and either took a hand or laid their own on her head; Splinter found this touching.

Then, Donatello rushed in quietly. "Guys," he exclaimed in a whisper. They all turned towards him; he had a bit of excitement on his face as he revealed a small needle filled with liquid. "I think I got it." His brothers all smiled and giggled gleefully.

"And that will cure her completely?" Mikey asked.

"Not completely, but just enough so her body has a better chance of fighting the sickness like we do. She will feel a whole lot better than she did earlier today," Donnie said as he joined his brothers at Jo's bed, laying a hand on her stomach. He couldn't resist grazing his fingers over her soft skin and chuckled as he saw her stomach briefly get sucked in then settle. Then, quickly cleansing a spot on her arm, he stuck the needle into it and injected the medicine. Now all they had to do was wait.

"Come, my sons," Splinter announced quietly as he and his four sons stood up. He kissed his human daughter on her forehead, whispered her a prayer, then left, the boys a little bit behind. The humanoid rat turned his head to see his sons say a prayer one by one, kiss her lightly, then come and join him. They must be long prayers. Donnie was the last to leave. He laid a hand on his sister's forehead. Something was different. The color of her skin had returned, as well. He smiled and celebrated in his mind as he slowly left her room, taking the needle with him so she wouldn't freak out once she woke up.

* * *

The next morning, Josephine sat up in bed; she felt like she had slept a whole week. Her head ached a bit, but much less than it did before. She noticed other changes: her stomach neither cramped nor felt nausea, she wasn't dizzy, her body didn't ache, her throat felt fine; she was still sniffling a bit but aside from all that, she felt like ten tons of bricks had been lifted off her shoulder. She did feel a sore spot on her upper left arm.

Joey felt well enough to get out of bed. Her feet felt numb so she quickly grabbed a second pair of socks and slipped them on. Then she draped her favorite blanket over her body and stepped out of her room to find the rest of her family. They were in the dojo practicing.

The mutants heard a light sneeze and quickly turned around to see their sister entering the dojo itching her nose. Their awake sister. They all smiled and tried to contain the joy they had. "Delighted to see you are feeling well, Josephine," Splinter said as he approached the girl.

Jo sniffled and nodded. "I am, too, Sensei." Her voice was completely restored. She jumped a bit when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her body and hoist her up. By the strength of the grip, she knew it had to be Mikey.

"Ya feeling better, Jo-Jo?" he asked.

Jo chuckled a bit. "Much, Mikey." She easily raised her arms and wrapped them around his neck. Her older brothers crowded around her.

Raph pointed to her left arm. "I see you noticed where Donnie pricked ya."

Joey's eyes went wide. "You...mean, with like a needle?" Raph nodded. She turned to Donnie and asked, "When did ya do it?"

"Just after you dozed off earlier," he replied.

"And how long was I asleep?"

"Well, just now you slept for the rest of the night, but overall during separate times put together, you slept a total of 29 hours."

Jo just blinked. "Damn."

Donnie pressed his hand on her forehead and smiled, revealing his gap-toothed grin. "Your fever has reduced greatly." He told her to open her mouth and stick out her tongue.

"You want me to say 'Ahhh'?" she said and everybody laughed.

"You can if ya want," Don said as he got a good look at her throat. "Looks pretty darn good. It's not red, and it's not hurting anymore, right?" Joey shook her head. "Well, I can't find anything wrong with ya, Joey." She sneezed. "Except that." She blushed.

The second Mikey sat her down, a second pair of arms wrapped around her, but didn't pick her up; she somehow knew they were the arms of her oldest brother, Leo. "I'm so glad you're okay, Jo," he whispered.

Joey slowly nodded. "I am, too," she replied. After a long hug she was passed on to Raphael. The two stared into each others' eyes and smiled. She rested her head on his shoulder and moaned pleasantly.

"I'll be honest Joey," Raph said with a light laugh, "you almost scared me to death yesterday." Everyone else agreed. Raph then playfully poked her in the ribs and she jumped with a brief giggle. Laughing himself, he got down on his knees, laid Jo in his lap and tickled her stomach, sending her into a stage just below of hysterics. "Ah, it's good to hear ya laugh."

"Hey, guys," said April as she ran into the dojo, then saw the mutant turtle tickling the well human. "Oh, Joey's better!"

"Yup," Don said, bouncing on his toes proudly.

"'Sup, April?!" Raph said over his sister's laughing, not bothering to look up. April waved and walked over to them.

"Jo must be feeling very much better to be laughing like this," April said with a chuckle. Raph nodded and continued his dirty work. Joey laughed and squirmed in her older brother's grip, and he ceased once he saw tears forming in her eyes. She breathed heavily holding her sides, then curled up like a cat in Raph's lap.

The whole family huddled around them, and Splinter stood over them. Smiles lit up the room. The medicine Donnie gave her may have helped make her feel better, but the real cure was the love and support her Jo's mutated family had. The human little girl hugged her brothers tightly. With their help she made through another scrape. She loved them a bit more that day as the thought of her brothers willing to do anything for her filled her head. And they would; just like she would for them when she made that promise many years ago.

After all, they were, and are, the reason she pulled through.


End file.
